What It Really Means to Travel Sustainably (and What Cherish Does Differently)

Travel That Cares for More Than the Planet

When we talk about sustainable travel, most people think of eco-lodges, reusable water bottles, or reducing plastic use. But at Cherish, sustainability goes much deeper.

To us, true sustainability lives at the intersection of environmental care, economic justice, and meaningful community impact. We believe all of these things are possible through the lens of championing women. Because here’s something powerful: when you invest in a woman, she invests back into her community, her environment, and the generations that follow.

This isn’t just our philosophy—it’s how we design every trip. Below, we’re sharing what sustainable travel means at Cherish, how we bring our values to life across the globe, and why it matters more than ever.

What is Sustainable Travel & What Does it Mean to Cherish

Let's start with the general definition of sustainable travel. Sustainable travel means minimizing the negative impacts of tourism while maximizing the positive experiences for both travelers and the places they visit.

At Cherish, we define sustainability as travel that engages with locals, drives local economic empowerment, and creates connection—not consumption.

That means we design every trip to be small-scale, women-led, and rooted in mutual respect. Whether you're trekking across a lava field in Iceland, learning to roast cacao in Panama, or sipping chai in a Maasai village, every experience is thoughtfully built with the people and the destination in mind.

We believe that when travel is done thoughtfully, it can support the places we’re lucky enough to visit, and leave travelers transformed in the process.

Economic Sustainability: Keeping Money Where It Matters

Have you ever come home from a trip and felt good knowing you “supported the local economy,” only to realize later that most of your money never actually stayed in the place you visited? This is what’s known as tourism leakage—and it’s more common than you might think.

Tourism leakage happens when the majority of travel dollars that are spent on hotels, tours, food, and souvenirs end up benefiting international corporations rather than the local community. It’s often the result of large travel chains, booking platforms, and outside-owned resorts dominating the industry. This means that even if you’re physically in another country, your money may be flowing right back to a headquarters thousands of miles away.

Most travelers have no idea this is happening. It’s not intentional; it’s just the way the system has long been built.

At Cherish, we design our trips to directly counter that. Instead of defaulting to what’s easy or familiar, we seek out partnerships that uplift the women and communities who call each destination home.

In Panama, our travelers stay at a family-owned, women-run eco-lodge tucked in the jungle, where every meal, hammock, and conversation supports the women who live and work there. Guests visit a nearby indigenous community to see their way of life, while the eco-lodge directly supports the families in this community. In Iceland, we work exclusively with women guides who bring the country to life with their own lived experience. And in Tanzania, we’re excited to have hired a local woman guide to join our team in 2026. Our continued partnerships in each of our destinations ensure that our impact is as empowering as the landscapes are breathtaking.

This approach requires intention, but it creates a ripple effect. When money stays local, it strengthens families, preserves culture, and creates new opportunities for the next generation.

Community Connection: The Heart of Meaningful Travel

At the root of meaningful travel is one powerful force: connection.

We believe that women often learn the most about themselves when they step into new environments. It becomes the most powerful when the routines and roles of everyday life fall away and they’re invited to show up as they are. These moments of clarity don’t usually happen when you're rushing from one landmark to the next. They happen in the quiet conversations, the shared laughter, the deep exhales surrounded by unfamiliar beauty.

That’s why every Cherish trip is designed with connection at its core. Connection to self. Connection to fellow women travelers. Connection to the women who welcome us into their communities. We’ve seen lifelong friendships bloom between women who were strangers just days before. We’ve witnessed travelers soften their perspectives, open their hearts, and embrace cultures entirely different from their own—not because of lectures or guidebooks, but because they shared a meal, a story, a walk, or a moment with someone local.

Without connection, travel is just a checklist. But when we pause, listen, and open ourselves to each other, it becomes something far richer. It becomes a mirror, a teacher, and a celebration of our shared humanity.

We’ve seen it again and again: this kind of travel changes people. It’s not just better for the world—it’s better for the traveler.

Traveling in a sustainable and meaningful way doesn’t just change how you see the world—it changes how you move through it.

Cherish travelers often return home with a completely new perspective. This is not only on their travels, but also on how they engage with community, culture, and connection in their everyday lives. Experiencing a place through the lens of local women, rather than as an outsider skimming the surface, opens the door to a much richer, more grounded understanding of a culture. It’s not about snapping a photo and moving on. It’s about listening to stories, sharing meals, and truly seeing people as they are. That shift is lasting.

After a Cherish trip, many women find themselves more intentional about how they spend their money, more curious about the roots of what they consume, and more committed to supporting local communities, both abroad and at home.

One of our travelers said:

The memories made on a Cherish trip stick with you not because of a single spectacular view (though there are plenty), but because of the connections. The Tanzanian guide who shared her grandmother’s stories, the Costa Rican host who taught you to cook her favorite dish, the Danish women who welcomed you into their circle with grace and laughter. These are the stories you’ll tell again and again—not just because they’re inspiring, but because they shaped you.

This kind of travel is healing. It’s healing for the women who join us, but it’s also healing for the communities we visit. When we travel more meaningfully, it helps locals feel seen, valued, and supported by travelers who show up with care about their lives, their stories, instead of consumption.

When travel is done with heart, everyone is changed for the better.

The Future of Travel Is Shared, Not Extracted

At its core, sustainable travel is about relationships: between travelers, local communities, and the planet we all share.

At Cherish, we’re reimagining what travel can look like—less extraction, more exchange. Less rush, more reflection. Less ‘seeing the world,’ more becoming part of it, even if only for a moment.

If you’re ready to experience this kind of meaningful travel, we invite you to explore one of our upcoming journeys. You can also dive into more stories on our blog about what it means to travel with intention.

Because when women gather, the world changes—one journey at a time.

Want to learn more about one of our upcoming trips? Fill out the form below and a member of our team will be in touch.